Peter Frampton hit a milestone today. The rock ‘n roll legend turns 75. Born on April 22nd, 1950, in Beckenham, Kent, England, Frampton's musical journey began at the age of seven when he discovered his grandmother's banjolele in the attic. This unique instrument, part banjo and part ukulele, sparked his passion for music and that led Frampton to teach himself guitar and piano. Influenced by legendary guitarists like Hank Marvin from The Shadows, Buddy Holly, and Eddie Cochran, Frampton's early band, The Preachers, was produced and managed by Bill Wyman, the bassist for The Rolling Stones.
Frampton's career took off as he joined The Herd and later Humble Pie, where he honed his distinctive guitar style before taking off on a solo career in 1971. After releasing four studio albums, he achieved monumental success with "Frampton Comes Alive!" in 1976. This live album topped the Billboard charts for 10 weeks and sold over eight million copies in the U.S., with 17 million copies sold worldwide. While "Comes Alive!" brought him immense fame and fortune, it also labeled him as a pop star, a title that came with its own set of challenges.
Despite the ups and downs of his career, Frampton's resilience and talent have continued to shine. Winning the Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental Album for "Fingerprints" in 2007 remains one of his proudest moments. Since then, he has released five more albums and, despite battling Inclusion Body Myositis (IBM), a disabling muscle disease, he is working on another album. Frampton just completed the first leg of his "Let's Do It Again" tour, with the second leg set to kick off on June 13th in Seattle.
[Source: Classic Hits Today]